Kapitel 90: Chapter 90: A New World (Part 3)
"Blood Orchid... a blood-stained orchid?" While Ada Wong soaked in the dragon blood bath, Daniel began examining the Blood Orchid. Ada had brought only one flower, but for this single blossom, over twenty lives had been lost in the Borneo rainforest, making the Blood Orchid's name quite fitting.
Daniel also realized that the Blood Orchid's origin was not the Amazon Rainforest, as he had previously thought, but the tropical rainforests of Borneo. It was fortunate that Ada hadn't confined her search to the Amazon; otherwise, her efforts might have been in vain.
"Contains immense life energy. For humans, consuming it directly would be too potent, essentially poisonous due to its overwhelming vitality." After analyzing the Blood Orchid, Daniel examined a piece of blood from a giant python that Ada had also brought. Ada's thoroughness impressed him; she seemed to anticipate his need for the python's blood for comparison.
"It seems this shouldn't be shared casually. I thought it merely had rejuvenating properties, but I was mistaken." The Blood Orchid's life energy wasn't just about eternal youth; it could extend one's lifespan, allowing those giant pythons to overcome their natural life limits.
"This is far more useful than the Stairway to the Sun. I should visit its habitat someday. If it could be transplanted, that would be ideal." Compared to the Stairway to the Sun, the Blood Orchid had fewer side effects. Even if humans accidentally consumed it, the result would be personal rather than widespread harm.
"It doesn't seem to harm animals much. Is it more compatible with animals? I wonder what would happen if a phoenix consumed it. Maybe I could trade it for some of Fawkes' blood or tears from Dumbledore." Although phoenixes in the Harry Potter world weren't as powerful as in legends, their tears were unparalleled in healing and detoxification.
"The dragon skeleton." The next day, while Daniel was arranging the dragon bones in storage, Ada, dressed in a red dress and holding a glass of red wine, walked over.
Daniel's dragon skeleton was flawless, with no damage at all. He had used the power of the Op-Op Fruit to meticulously remove the flesh, ensuring nothing was wasted.
"Impressive. How are you feeling?" Daniel asked.
"Very good. My physical strength has significantly improved." Ada smiled and nodded.
"Glad to hear that. Let's eat first." The food was, of course, from the Harry Potter world. The main course was dragon meat. Compared to the Marvel universe, the food in the Harry Potter world was far superior, despite Marvel also having top-notch ingredients.
"In such a big villa, you didn't even hire a chef?" Ada asked curiously as Daniel himself cooked the meal.
"Not used to it." There were two reasons Daniel didn't hire a chef: his habits hadn't changed, and this place held too many secrets that he couldn't risk exposing.
"By the way, since you're a special agent, I've prepared some things for you." After dinner, Daniel led Ada to the basement and opened the armory.
Daniel had made full use of the Ukrainian Ironbelly, creating items like dragon hide belts, gloves, bracers, and dragon scales.
Dragon hide gloves weren't particularly expensive in the Harry Potter world. Almost every student had a pair for Potions and Herbology classes. However, due to craftsmanship, the gloves in the Harry Potter world were often unattractive, unlike the ones Daniel had crafted.
"Here's a magazine enchanted with space magic, holding up to a hundred bullets." A hundred rounds in a handgun magazine was quite impressive. Although Daniel could increase it further, it wasn't necessary.
Last time, Daniel had provided Ada with some equipment, but this time, it was more comprehensive.
"You've done so much for me. Is it worth it?" Ada asked with a smile as she approached Daniel.
"Of course, it's worth it." Daniel hesitated for a moment but answered confidently.
"Really? Then what are you waiting for?" Ada leaned closer, wrapping her arms around Daniel's neck and whispering softly in his ear.
The intoxicating scent made Daniel forget about the weapons and instead, he picked up Ada and apparated to the bedroom. (Scenes censored for harmony.)
"Let's go." Ada stayed with Daniel for three days. Those were refreshing days for Daniel, as their relationship had finally made significant progress. It was no wonder people say that the embrace of a lover can be the downfall of a hero. However, Daniel remembered he still had important matters to attend to.
He needed to find Peggy Carter. For some reason, perhaps the significant age difference, Captain America hadn't visited Carter since waking up, and Carter didn't know that he had been revived.
Captain America's love life was quite the story. Initially involved with Peggy Carter, he later dated her niece, Agent Sharon Carter. It showed that even a paragon like Captain America had his moments of human weakness. If Peggy had known, it might have caused trouble for him.
Like that time Captain America kissed a woman, only for Peggy to see and shoot at him and Howard Stark, causing quite a scare.
"If Peggy regains her youth, Captain America's life won't be easy, and Stark's might be even harder." Stark feared nothing except Peggy. Thankfully, Peggy had grown old and stayed in Britain, allowing Stark to enjoy his hedonistic lifestyle. Otherwise, his nights of revelry would have been much harder to maintain.
"Hidden in plain sight." In a seemingly ordinary apartment in England, Daniel and Ada arrived through a portal. This was where Peggy Carter lived. As a founding member of S.H.I.E.L.D., Peggy could have had a much better life in her later years, but she chose this simple apartment.
Captain America's New York apartment was similarly modest. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. had arranged a good residence for him, he moved out to better understand the world. Even though he didn't have a current salary, his pension was substantial. The U.S. military, despite its budget constraints, would never skimp on his pension.
"Who's there?" Daniel used Apparition to enter Peggy's room. With the Op-Op Fruit, he could confirm the room's conditions before teleporting. While the Op-Op Fruit allowed for spatial movement, it was more suited for combat rather than daily use. Fortunately, Apparition filled this gap.
The room was simple, with no luxurious decorations. After a quick scan, Daniel kicked over a chair, causing a noise that alerted the occupant. Moments later, a blonde woman with a gun emerged from the inner room. In the next instant, Ada appeared beside her and knocked her out.
"She didn't tell Peggy that the Captain had awoken." The blonde woman was Sharon Carter, Peggy's niece and Agent 13.
"I'll leave this to you," Daniel said, then walked towards the inner room. Peggy's security wasn't particularly tight, but few dared disturb her. Most people didn't know her address, and those who did wouldn't intrude.
While Peggy's defenses weren't stringent, any trouble here would mobilize S.H.I.E.L.D. completely. Even HYDRA, with deep grudges against Peggy, wouldn't risk coming after her. Notably, Werner Reinhardt, or Dr. Whitehall, captured by Peggy herself, wouldn't seek revenge.
Alexander Pierce, now the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., knew all the agency's secrets. Given this, there was no need to provoke Peggy at the risk of exposure. As for revenge, that was a matter for the previous generation of HYDRA, irrelevant to Alexander.
"Hello, Ms. Peggy Carter." Entering the inner room, Daniel saw Peggy lying in bed, aged and frail, with an IV drip beside her. He bowed respectfully.
"How is Sharon?" Peggy, with her clouded eyes, looked at Daniel and immediately asked.
"She's fine. I just put her to rest so she wouldn't interfere," Daniel replied, smiling as he pulled up a chair and sat down.
"I come with good intentions, Ms. Carter. Could you please put away the weapon?" Daniel noticed Peggy's arm hidden under the blanket and spoke calmly.
Being a spy isn't easy. Even at her advanced age, lying bedridden, Peggy still held a weapon. The gun wasn't pointed at Daniel but at herself, ready to end her life if needed.
"Good intentions? I haven't seen any." Despite her words, Peggy pulled her left hand from under the blanket, revealing a small handgun. It was a woman's favorite type of firearm, but although she exposed it, the gun was still aimed at herself. Given the situation, if it were just Daniel, she would have pointed it at him. But now, it was clear there was more than just him present.
"I have some intelligence to share, but I fear you might get too excited, so it's best to put the gun away." Revealing that Captain America was alive could trigger a dangerous reaction from Peggy, potentially causing her to pull the trigger.
"Intelligence?" Peggy looked surprised at Daniel.
"Accio gun." Seizing the moment, Daniel summoned Peggy's gun with a charm. Fortunately, Peggy's old age and weakness made it easy to pull the gun from her grip.
"What's this?" Peggy was taken aback as the gun flew into Daniel's hand.
"I'm a wizard, but now's not the time to discuss that. Ms. Carter, you should prepare yourself and try not to get too excited." Daniel paused and continued only after seeing Peggy's expression calm down. "We found the Captain."
"What?" Peggy's reaction was immediate and intense. Her chest heaved, and her hands trembled even more than before. She began to breathe heavily and reached for the medications at her bedside.
"I told you not to get too excited." Seeing Peggy's agitation, Daniel quickly injected her with a
syringe. The medication soon calmed her breathing.
"Is it true? I wondered why Sharon has been acting strange lately." Peggy initially doubted but soon realized the truth.
"I need to see him. I can't let them desecrate his body." Peggy knew the implications of Captain America's body in this era. Even with his immense legacy, there would be countless excuses to experiment on his body under the guise of human advancement.
In fact, many such things had already been done while he was comatose. His blood had been drawn repeatedly. If not for the many eyes watching him, and the risk of exposure, Alexander and his people might have killed him.
Perhaps due to the earlier injection, Peggy managed to sit up and remove her IV herself.
"Ms. Carter, please don't be alarmed. The Captain isn't dead. He was frozen and has now been revived. Due to the freezing, his age and body haven't aged over time. He is still a young man." Daniel showed Peggy a photo of Captain America from his recent visit to the dock near Daniel's villa.
"This..." Peggy froze, seeing the young Captain in the photo. He looked just as she remembered, only with different clothes.
But Peggy herself had aged significantly, now frail and near death.
Meeting Captain America in such a state wasn't an ideal option. Peggy understood why the Captain hadn't come to see her since waking up and why S.H.I.E.L.D. had hidden the news from her.
Although they were in the same world, the passage of time had created an unbridgeable gap between them. Peggy, always strong, felt a pang of sorrow that would have made others weep.
"Ms. Carter, your and the Captain's deeds have inspired generations. I grew up hearing your stories. Although time has been cruel to you, it's not an insurmountable problem." Daniel produced a vial containing a red liquid.
"This is a serum I developed. It can restore youth."
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